Attack of the Metabenders
by GRMartins
Summary: When evil rises, the Avatar is the one that keeps it at bay. But this time, the Avatar is still a baby! So it ends up to an odd group of rather different benders with skills that set them apart from others to stop the threat of the metabenders before it goes too far! Set in the beginning of Avatar Rokku's life.
1. When we meet Yung

'The cogs of destiny never stop...' he thought and remembered the day he won that champion's belt...

_"Welcome your two champions, ladies and gentlemen! On the right side, comes he who is so fast, skilled and fatal that has become known as the Silver Death! Cain!"_

_Then he arrived and smiled, conquering the crowd, that yelled and cheered to him. He was a twenty-five years old man that had really long ivory hair and dashing yellow eyes. He was fit and lightly tanned._

'One day you can be at the top of the world...'

_"And on the left corner, the strong and sturdy man that became known as Rocksolid! Yung!"_  
_And he came in calmly as if there was no big deal. The crowd did not cheer half as much as it had done for Cain, but the man did not care, he wasn't doing that for them. His hand went through his auburn hair and right after it scratched his beard and his green eyes looked around like he was trying to find something interesting there._  
_"YOU'RE GOING DOWN TODAY!" Cain teased._  
_"Whatever you have to say to feel confident, dearie." Yung answered, bored. Could it be that he was wrong all the time? But it was too late for him to give up now. The final battle was about to begin._  
_The bell rang and Cain charged to destroy Yung, that did not move at all. But when the swordsman was about to cut him down, he looked at the floor for a moment, the other lost his balance and Yung grabbed the man's head with his right hand and dropped him on the ground, kicking the sword off his hand and proceeding to a series of brutal punches that left the man unconscious. It was quick._

'And on the next, you can be down the ground wondering how you fell so much.'

_"Where's my belt?" Yung asked and waved to the crowd, that cheered. That boy Cain's quick attacks and sharp blade never had a chance against Yung's sturdy style. The announced crowned him champion and gave him the belt of the Ultimate Fighter and Yung thought if that would feel the void in him._

'But it didn't. After that I decided to join the Dai Li, but after a week, I have learned most of their bending through observation and life at the army is no life for me.' he thought as he dropped his jacket of a Dai Li recruit and put on his good old dark green overcoat.  
He looked at his lodgings a last time to be sure he hadn't forgotten anything.  
He had not.  
'It's darkest right before dawn. I should use this time wisely.'  
And quietly left the place, being able to cross the camp with ease until...  
"Nice hat, Yung" someone said behind him and he turned to see a familiar figure with a cloaked stranger.  
"Like it? It matches my belt!"  
"That belt should be mine! You earthbended! You cheated!"  
"Did I now? But I never moved my arms or legs or any part of me to do so."  
"You used some sort of trick. Now, give me the belt or I'll have to attack you?"  
"Oh, Cain's a wittle bit wesentful?" Yung said, faking a pouty face.  
"My name is not Cain anymore. It is Aurion. Things have changed since we last met."  
"Whatever. Seems like you lost your window, my friend."  
"What?"  
"YUNG! WHAT SORT OF RUCKUS IS GOING ON HERE?" a man yelled from behind Aurion. It was the General. He was a man on his mid-forties with dark hair, a full and long beard and wore the garments of a Dai Li agent.  
"I was merely taking an early stroll when this man ambushed me." Yung lied.  
"That's a bold face lie! You were deserting them!"  
"YUNG! Is that true?"  
"I have no idea of what he is talking about." Yung lied with a perfect poker face.  
"GET HIM! GET THE INVADER!"  
"I think not. Alan."  
"Yes." the cloaked man solemnly said and suddenly, he rose his hands.  
And things got creepy because even though the General and his man wanted to attack, they could not move.  
"I had hoped to leave with the blood of only one in my hands..." Aurion told Yung with a devilish and happy tone "but I can't leave witnesses, can I?"  
But Yung did not listen. He was staring at the emptiness... like he was not there.

'What is this?' he asked as he saw that a woman's hand held his. He then looked down and freaked, at a lot of things, like knowing he was flying (!), that he carried three others (!), he had no legs (!) and there was nothing down below but more empty space (!). That freak out made him let go of the girl that held his hand and her and the other man fell, but the girl that was last in line let the go as well and looked at him shocked.  
"Yung... wake up. I already killed the lackeys, but I'd hate you to miss the death of your commander."

And like that, he was back to reality.  
"I failed you, Yung. Give an old man some last satisfaction and forgive me before I die."  
But when Aurion was about to strike, a pillar of earth threw him and his blade way upwards, leaving a cut on the General's arm, but he was still alive.  
"Yung, you sneaky bastard! How did you do that?" the General said, overjoyed and relieved.  
"Willpower." he said and gave a snarky smile  
"You are so dead, Yung!" Aurion said when he was falling but Yung looked at him and a surge of earth bound him to a wall. He then threw a rock at Alan that made him lose his focus and they were released.  
"Seems that even when you get reinforcements, victory is still mine."  
"I'll defeat you one day, Yung!" he said and the earth pillar exploded. When the dust settled, he and Alan were gone.  
"You can bend without moving?"  
"Learned from the Great Master of Mountains. Yeah, she was my master."  
"If you could do that, why did you let him kill the others?" the General said, grabbing Yung by the collar of his shirt.  
"It is not so much that I let him as it is that I was not there."  
"Spirit travelling?"  
"Yes. I saw someone. A girl. An airbender."  
The General let him go and saw that he had a backpack on him.  
"You were deserting, weren't you?"  
"I was. And I am. I know I have to find that woman. It may answer the question that chases me throughout my life and made me try so many different paths."  
"You can't go! Not right after this! They'll blame you! You'll become something worse than a desertor, you'll be a traitor!"  
He placed his hand on the General's shoulder and smiled.  
"I count on you to make things right, sir." he said and the General was impressed.  
"I finally got you to call a superior 'sir'."  
"That's the first and last time, General! Cheerio!"  
And flew away on a rock.  
"Sir! That man is fleeing! Should we intercept him?"  
"No. Let him go."  
"But he's a desertor!"  
"He's more than that, soldier. He's a hero, and one too good to expect acknowledgements."


	2. When we meet Heather

'My dad and brother have gone hunting' she thought as she stroke her black hair in front of the mirror 'it is a relief to have some free time just for myself.'  
When she was done with the hair, she got a cream she had gained from her father about a year ago and only used it when they were gone so it would last. It smelled like jasmines. She liked the smell.  
She got a bit of it and passed through her dark skin, spreading it on her face calmly.  
'I love them, it is not that, it's just... they are boys. They can't get me.'  
Then she looked through the window. It was a beautiful day.  
'But I am special. I have something else. Something no one in my village has.'  
And she did it. A small flame appeared on her hand.  
'Something only I can do.'  
She liked looking at the flames she created for a long time when she was alone. Because if she did so for long enough, she started to see things. Places she had never been to, creatures she had never seen...  
So she stared at the fire. And suddenly, something started to appear in the flickering flame... but it was odd...  
'A person? He never showed me a person before...'  
It was a man that should be in his late-twenties or his early-thirties that had straight hair that lengthed up to his shoulders and had a light beard. His nose was thin and slightly sharp and he had eyes that showed both a powerful determination and a hint of madness. He was a bulky man with pale skin and wore a simple shirt and common pants under an odd overcoat.  
'Who are you? Why is the fire showing you to me?'  
She was so focused on the image in the flame that she never heard anything that happened before.  
"Your daughter is a firebender?!" the governor asked.  
"Heather, take your stuff and run!"  
"Yes! The slave traders will pay a good price for this one!" he said and got a knife, then threatening to kill Heather's dad with it.  
"Dad!"  
"Leave me! Take your brother and go!"  
"Surrender and I'll let you live!"  
"No! Go! I can't let you lose your life!"  
"I can't let you die, dad!"  
"D-dad? Sis?" Heather's brother said, tense "do you hear that?"  
And then they all heard a loud deep noise of earth moving.  
And it did.


	3. When we meet Aria

She had never tried that before, travelling to the spirit world. Yet she was already twenty-one and she had to do so sooner or later.  
"Are you ready to begin?" he asked. Her old master, Monk Shiro.  
'No' she thought, and her grey eyes told that, but her lips said:  
"I am ready to try." as she felt uncomfortable. She had been a handful for him for long enough. For starters, she was the only person there not to shave any of her forehead, or actually cut any of that precious ivory hair. Not that she had anything against it, oh, no, she tried. But it grew back like crazy in a couple of hours, so it was a waste of time. The last time she cut it was when they gave her the master airbender tattoos and they barely had time to do that before the ivory attack came.  
She was also different as a bender, with a skill that no one else had.  
And she thought about all of that while she should be meditating.  
But when she opened her eyes, she wasn't back at the balcony where she and her master meditated, but somewhere else... somewhere strange.  
She was being taken by a man that had brown hair. He held the hand of a girl with black hair and she held the hand of a man with auburn hair that led the group.  
'Is this... a trip? Did I do it?'  
And they flew for a few minutes towards a light that shimmered all colors, but before they got there, the man stopped, shocked and let go of the girl's hand. She could feel them pulling her down, so she let go as well.  
And looked at him.  
'You can see me?' was all the thought before she fell and lost consciousness.

"Aria?"  
"Uh..." was all she said as she woke up "I feel dizzy."  
"What happened? I was meditating when I suddenly heard you dropping on the floor!"  
"I... traveled, master."  
"You did? That is fortunate to hear."  
"And now I have to leave the temple. The man I saw there... he saw me, too. We are fated to meet, somehow and I am not sure how this will happen if I stay here."  
"I understand" he said and took his wooden necklace and gave it to her.  
"Go with my blessings."  
"I will be back, master, and I will be better when I do."  
He smiled calmly, remembering hiis youth as she packed quickly. It was good to be so excited and boltsy back in the good old days, but he could not do that anymore.  
When she was ready, she bowed to him, but then he hugged her and she hugged him back.  
"Good luck." was the last thing he said before she got her air glider and jumped to the skies, flying away.  
'I don't know who you are' she thought 'but I have to find you.'


	4. When we meet Mortimer

'This is the life' he thought as he just felt warm in the pool of water. He then went and dove in to straighten up his brown hair and then as soon as he emerged again, he opened his deep-blue eyes and looked around, searching for something... but what? It should be freezing, but he heated it up. Which was odd, considering he was a waterbender, but he had his tricks.  
"Sir? You father requests your presence."  
'No good thing lasts for long' he thought as he got out of the pool and had to go through the boring process of putting back on all those layers of clothes.  
"What does he want now?"  
"I do not know, sir, such details have not been shared with me."  
"Stop being so uptight! Come on, you soldiers are too stiff! Chill, man!"  
"You are not making any sense to me, sir."  
"And stop calling me sir! I am young enough to be your son!"  
"As you wish, sir- er... Mortimer."  
"Oh, Spirits, nevermind, I hate my name! Did my dad think I'd be born at the age of seventy-five or what?"  
"I do not, know... uh... if you don't like your name, how should I call you, sir?"  
"I do need a new name. Maybe you can help me with that."  
"Me?"  
"Yeah, with the length of this corridors, it'll take like forever to get to my father, so I can try some ideas. How about... Judd?"  
"That sounds awful, sir."  
"It does? ...Yeah, it does. Huh, let me see... Jordan?"  
"Better not. I've met some chicks with that name. You look more like a Mark."  
"Mark... yeah, Mark. Short, simple and easy to remember. I like it 'cause it's tots opposite to the name my father gave me."  
"Well, here we are. He is waiting for you inside, Mark."  
And the guy that now named himself Mark opened the doors to find his father waiting with a stern face.  
"'sup, dad? Need me to raid another family that doesn't worship you enough?"  
"You insolent brat! I brought you to teach a lesson! You're twenty-three already, you should know how to rule our city! Yet all you do is lie around and do nothing."  
"Because there is nothing for me to do here. Put Archie on the throne, he's the perfect son! No one will be happier than me!"  
"What are you saying, boy?"  
'My hands shake. I feel slightly sick. But I know I have to do this.'  
"I am leaving, father. I do not know yet what I must do with my life, but this is not it."  
And he turned and walked to the door, but a net stopped him.  
'Crap. I should have predicted something like this.'  
"You may have to leave, boy..." the governor said as two soldiers grabbed him "but you're not going anywhere."


	5. When a Traitor is a Savior

Rock pillars destroyed half of the house and stuck the governor on a rocky trap. Heather's father was dropped on the floor, unharmed. Then, from the biggest pillar, an opening appeared and from it came Yung.  
"Oh, pardon me."  
'That girl... she was also in my travel. Curioser and curioser...'  
"You destroyed half my house!"  
Yung looked at the governor that tried to break the rocks with his knife and then back at the man.  
"I expected a 'thank you for saving my life', but then again, you can't seem to always get what you want..."  
'It's him! The man from my flames!'  
"What are you doing breaking in like that anyway."  
"I am lost. Does anyone know how to get to the Northern Air Temple?"  
"You bastard! You'll pay for this! You'll..." but then a part of a taller pillar broke and fell on top of the governor, shutting him up.  
"Oh, I'm so clumsy today!" Yung said, cheerfully.  
'Why is he here?'  
"You are an odd man, you know that?"  
And then the governor seemed to recover and threw his knife against Yung.  
"DIE, SCUM!"  
The earthbender merely grabbed the knife and smiled as he jumped to be beside the man and threaten to kill him.  
"No..." he begged "please... don't kill me..."  
"Disgusting. He who lives by the sword should be ready to die by the sword."  
"And you are the one to say 'cause?"  
He opened his overcoat and they all averted their eyes for a moment... but then they looked.  
"I am the Ultimate Fighter, baby!" he said, pointing to the champion's belt "and I won it all without bending, since it is forbidden in the contest."  
"Whoa."  
"So, you killing that bastard or what?"  
Yung slided down and gave the knife to Anju's father.  
"That is a decision for you to make. Now, do you know how to get to the Northern Air Temple?"  
"You came from Ba Sing Se, correct?"  
"Yes. Leaving kind of a situation down there."  
"Let me see... you just follow east, until you get to Faoling and then you head north. You'll see that place pretty soon after that."  
"Thanks. Sorry 'bout the house. Again."  
"It's cool."  
'I shoud try talking to him... maybe that is why he came here?'  
"Oh... Mister, I was wondering if I could join you in your journey."  
"Well, why not? I don't babysit, so you better take care of yourself. Beisdes that, welcome!"  
"Heather! I am not letting you depart with that madman!"  
"Sis, I don't think it is such a good idea."  
"I can see things in the fire... places, creatures... and today, when you arrived... I was seeing him. It is not coincidence that he appeared here right when I was in danger. It is fate."  
"Daughter... if you really want to join him... then do so. It's not like we'll live long enough considering that the governor now hates us."  
Yung smiled.  
"Oh, don't worry, kittens, I have a plan! Just follow my lead when those nasty soldiers arrive, okay?"


	6. When Ice melts

'Ice. The most brutal of my father's prisons. It is usually used to force hardened criminals to confess. None can withstand the chill wearing as few as they allow us here' he thought, looking at his fit body and the loincloth they let him wear 'he is now using one of this cells to teach me a lesson.'  
He touched the wall made of pure ice, the thickest he had ever seen. The only metal thing there was a set of coolers placed so that even the most skilled of waterbenders could not melt their way out.  
'But he doesn't know that my skills go farther than any waterbender that ever has been.'  
And he placed his hand on the icy wall, except it began to sublimate rather than just melt.  
'I can turn ice to steam, something only firebenders should be able to do..'  
He felt the steam... it was amazing. It was liberating in more ways than one.  
He was the steam and the steam was him.  
'Contain it in a small point... restrain in all directions... feel... the... pressure' he said and that made him begin to sweat, even in that freezing place...  
'AND RELEASE IN ONE WAY!' he said and smiled when he released the vapor that had become so pressured and hot that it pierced the ice as something different and even hotter.  
'Plasma, baby!' he said as he then waved through the hole he created out of that place, laughing at the idea of his father's reaction when he found out.  
And then he left the escape route to freedom only to find a guard waiting for him.  
"Mark... sir?"  
"It's you. You know what this means" the waterbender said and prepared to attack.  
But then the guard just gave him a coat.  
"You can't run away dressed like that. Here. This will keep you warmer."  
"Why are you doing this?"  
"I don't know. Feels like I should."  
"Thank you. I'll never forget your kindness, Hugh."  
"You-you're welcome, sir!"  
"So, can you get me any pants?"  
"Sorry, I can't."  
"It's cool. I should be off before they find out I left. Goodbye!"  
And Mark used his waterbending to flow away in a wave that he created as Hugh watched.  
Mark could swear that for a moment, he saw a man of auburn hair and a dark cloak looking at him far ahead, but then he passed a tree and the man was gone.


	7. When the Lady comes to stage

"Hello, strong and handsome soldier" she said to him and touched his arm. It was enough.  
"Hey..." he said, in love "How can I help you, fair maiden?"  
"I need to see the General. I have important matters to discuss with him. Could you guide me to him?"  
"O-of course! Anything for you, milady!" he said and escorted her to the tent.  
"Anything else? Do you want me to guard you?"  
"No, thanks, that will be all" she said and went in the quarters.  
"Hello, General, I want to - oh, that seems painful. Anything I can do to help?"  
The General was shirtless and even though he was over forty, his body was very muscular. He was cleaning the wound on his arm.  
"You can cut the crap and tell me right away what is it that you want."  
"Oh, right to the point, huh?" she said and began to use her 'glamour' "I like that in a man."  
"What do you want, girl?"  
"It is a serious wound you have there" she said and pressured her glamour even further "How did you get it?"  
"A bastard killed my men and tried to do the same to me, but a deserter saved my life."  
"Yung."  
"That's the name."  
"I am seeking him. Where is he?"  
"No idea. Then again, if I did, he'd be a lousy runaway, wouldn't he?"  
"You can tell me" she said and got closer. He was very resilient, so she'd have to use her most powerful tool.  
"Look, lady, I have no idea of what you are talking..." and then she touched his arm.

"...about." and he became silent because he was no longer in his office. He was in space and on an odd platform that was made of ice.  
"I tried to be nice, but I suppose sometimes force is the answer, huh?"  
And he did not understand how, but he knew.  
He was in trouble.  
'How come Yung attracts all these weirdos and leaves me to fend against them?'


	8. When infamy grows

"Oh, good afternoon, gentlemen! Nice day we're having."  
"Let the governor go!"  
"This won't do! I have three other hostages, yet the most despicable is the only one you care about?" Yung said "I should make an example out of him." he said and suddenly arrested the man in a thick earth prison.  
"He'll be dead from dehydration in three days" he bluffed "think you can get to him 'till then?"  
"YOU BASTARD!"  
"DIE!"  
Yung smirked and suddenly all of their legs suddenly became stuck on the ground.  
"What the hell are you?"  
"A demigod" he said with anger and right after that he dropped the two men on the ground.  
"I don't need you. This young damsel is enough of a sacrifice to keep me going a while longer. Cheerio."  
And left flying on his rock while holding Heather.  
"That stuff about sacrifice... it was a bluff, right?"  
"I don't think so..." he said in a creepy voice, but then laughed 'course it was! I wish I was a demigod! Then I wouldn't have half the problems I do now!'  
"What do you mean?"  
"I am a deserter from the Dai Li and thanks to a bastard that names himself ''Aurion", now I am also a traitor to Ba Sing Se.  
"I'm... with a traitor?"  
"No, you're with a person framed as one. That reminds me... why were you so eager to ride with me?"  
"You weren't paying attention when I explained ot to dad?"  
"Sorry, I was plotting on how to ensure that your dad and brother did not die when they found us and the governor."  
"They will still be killed when they dig that despicable man out."  
"No. I may have... lied about the 'time' they had to get him out... he's dead. When I locked him up, a rock pike went whoosh, right through his head."  
"Whoa. They'll hate you for that."  
Yung snapped his fingers and back there, the earth prison dove in the earth and was swallowed.  
"You think so? Great. Where were we before... oh, right. You had to explain to me why you are following me."  
"I see things in the fire. Places and creatures usually... today, for the first time, I saw a person... and it was you. You come and save our lives on the same day I find you inside the fire? It is no coincidence."  
"Huh. I have seen you too. You, a boy and another girl, an airbender, in kind of a vision or a spirit travel. I also am pretty sure that the boy is an waterbender."  
"Why?"  
"Earth. Fire. Air. Water. It is obvious. But why must we gather? Now that I do not. I plan to do so for it might feel the eternal void that whirls inside me."  
"That's deep."  
"Yep, getting too serious alert! We should find something for the munchies, I am getting hungry!"  
"Really? You can think about food at a time like this?"  
"Hey, gotta keep my shape, sister!" he said and tapped his belly gently "come on, I see a village in the horizon! We ride!"


	9. When a man walks in space?

'You can't run from me...' she said as he ran on the platform in space, but then it ended suddenly and so he craftly jumped and started riding a comet, fleeing from a woman that flew right behind him.  
'You may think you can try' she said and a hand made of stars tried to grab him, but he jumped from the comet and the hand only grabbed it. He then began to fly as well, but bursts of stars tried to hit him, going all around the General.  
'But you never had a chance' she said and another starry hand caught the man and a bigger version of that lady apperared, made of stars.  
'This world is mine' she said and tried to squeeze him, but he only gave her a snarky smile.  
"This world may be yours..." he said and slided away from her hand effortlessly to give her a headbutt that shattered the whole place and they were both knocked back at the office.  
"...but it is not the real deal."  
"How did you do that? No one could break my illusions before! What did I do wrong?"  
"Nothing. I just had a will strong enough to break through it."  
And he went to her walking threateningly.  
"I don't know where Yung is, but I have seen enough to believe you want to harm him. So you are done for here."  
"Wait! I have to find Yung so I can help him!"  
"What?"  
"He goes boldly, the man, thinking he can overcome every challenge... but he knows nothing. The threat that comes is one that the Avatar could even have trouble dealing with."  
"The Avatar is an infant now!"  
"Exactly. Yung is one of the warriors that can help, yet he remains in oblivion."  
And he helped her stand up.  
"I believe he rode west, but I am not sure. What is your name?"  
"My name is Rose" she said "but you have no need to know that. You never saw me" she said and touched his arm for a moment. Just a moment.  
And then he lost consciousness.  
'It is for the best. You should not meddle with the affairs I take to Yung's hands.'  
And she left as calmly as she had entered the room.


	10. When Aria meets a Hermit

She flew with her glider gleefully. She had never felt so free! And to be able to do that because of a spirit travel made her feel important. She had a task ahead of her sent by the spirits.  
Which is why she was humming an old Water Tribe song she heard on one of her few visits to an Earth Kingdom village.  
And it was also why she never saw that huge rock before she hit it and fell unconscious.

"Uh..." she said, feeling dizzy and found out she was lying on a bed. She looked around and found out she was in a small cabin. There was a man crouched by a fire, doing something. He had brown hair and was a big, strong, hairy man that must have been in his late-thirties.  
"You're awake. Good. When I found you, I was most worried. What happened to you?"  
He turned to see her. He wore a hiker's hat, a red and green checkered shirt and dark shorts. He had a gentle face with small, black eyes, a big and potato-ish nose and a full beard that made it almost impossible to find his thin lips.  
"Ow... how long was I out?"  
"Just a couple of hours. Don't worry, I mean you no harm" he then clarified.  
"I didn't thought you did" she said "you live here alone?"  
"Yeah. Not that good with people. Also... the air of the mountains is the freshest I have ever breathed... I like being here. You?"  
"Just passing by. I am looking for a bulky man with auburn hair. Have you seen someone like that?"  
"Sorry, haven't seen anyone like that lately. As you may have guessed, I don't see that many people, living here alone."  
"Thank you. I should get going."  
"Don't leave just yet. I am making stew and... the weather... I think there will be a storm not much later than now. It is best you stay here until it subsides."  
"Uh... okay... thank you..."  
"You're welcome, young one. What is your name?"  
"I am Aria."  
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Aria. I am Will. I do not have much here, but that which I do, I am willing to share."  
"Thank you."  
"Come here, near the fire. Storm nights here can be quite cold."  
And she went and got near him, thinking he was kind...  
Too kind, maybe?  
What was wrong with him?  
"Why do you live here alone? There is a village not far from here."  
"I know. But I told you, I usually don't get along with people... could you please grab two pots and spoons from the cabinet over there?"  
"Sure..." she said and went and got it. While she did it, he looked at her. She was a very beautiful woman, that he could not deny.  
But he shook off those thoughts. She'd be leaving pretty soon, so it was best not to get attatched.  
"Here you go."  
"Thanks. I heard some of you air folks are vegetarian, so I made a carrot and potato stew. I hope it's good enough for you."  
"It is too kind of you."  
"I don't get visitors that often... so I suppose I do my best to make them happy when they come."  
"You did more than enough, Will. Thank you."  
"You're welcome, miss" he said and he heard the rumble and roar in his head... and feared it would become stronger after that girl left...


	11. When a Traitor and a Runaway fight

"Where are we again?" she asked the bartender.  
"Tharasing. We're a small town."  
"Yet you have the best lambporkchops I have ever eaten!" Yung said and smiled as he thought of wiping his face, but then just looked at the bartender and said "more, please!"  
"You datin' him or something?" the bartender asked Heather with sarcasm.  
"Oh, God, no! We're looking for someone. An airbender with long ivory hair. Have you seen someone like that?"  
"No. Too bad. Sounds like she's a rare beauty. Another juice?"  
"No, thanks... unlike SOMEONE, I don't need massive amounts of food."  
"Hey, I'm a bulky guy! Gotta keep my shape here, beauty queen!"  
She sighed.  
"I thought it'd be nicer to travel with you. It seems I was mistaken."  
"I'm sorry I disappointed you, girl. Guess it's saddening whne you find out not everything is fairytales and dreams!"  
"You think you're so smart and all! You know what? Find your chick by yourself! I am out of here!"  
And she stormed out while he ate another lambporkchop.  
"She seems mad. Shouldn't you do something?"  
"It's her first day away from home" Yung replied mid-bites "she just misses her family."  
"Yet, letting her out that late... there are some creeps lurking around lately. A cute girl like her? They'll go for it quick."  
"Oh, crap! Here, keep the change!" Yung said as he ran and threw a couple of golden coins at the man.  
He thought of it as odd. One of those was more than enough to pay him, so why did he throw two?  
And on a corner, he saw her, trying to defend herself with firebending from the ruffians, but she wasn't skilled enough and they kept getting closer...  
"HEY!" Yung said calling their attention "That's my girl!"  
"Not anymore, old timer! Now she's ours!"  
"How about a deal? You leave her be and I don't kick you to a pulp!"  
"No can do! The deal is you leave us alone and we let you live."  
Yung smiled. It was the hard way, then. And to give them a fighting chance, he thought about doing so without any bending. The first one charged with a knife, which Yung dodged by bending down and went from that to a kick on the man's parts and as he fell with the pain, Yung jumped on his back and used the boost to give a downard kick right at the other one's head, but the third and last of them fought with the girl, that dodged his hits, but had no luck landing one of her own.  
"Yung, a little help here!"  
"No, defeat him yourself! This is not the last fight we'll have. You need some training, girl! Remember! Fire comes from the breath!"  
She continued to dodge, but slowly and breathed deeply... and as he was about to strike her on the chest, she threw a fire blast that knocked him back and he ran as fast as he could from that crazy group, only to be knocked out by a pillar of earth that Yung craftly pulled from the ground.  
'Okay,' he thought 'a little bending.'  
"Thanks... I'm sorry for what I said before."  
"It's okay, kiddo..." he said and messed her hair.  
"Hey, your hand is dirty! Eeew! Get it off me!"  
"Come on, I didn't forgive you yet! Give me a big hug!" he teased and ran after her until he threw himself over her and they both fell, laughing.  
Their alliance could work, after all...


	12. When a Hermit reveals his secret

"Thank you for everything" she said to Will "I'm sorry I have to leave so soon, but I cannot waste any time."  
"Wait... please, don't go yet... I can make you a nice breakfast."  
"I have to leave - uh... where is my glider?"  
"I-I can't let you leave..."  
"You hid it? Where is it?"  
"No... if you go... I'll be all alone again."  
"There is a village right down there! If you feel lonely... why can't you go there? Tell me the truth."  
Will sighed.  
"I can't go there. I was banished."  
"You were banished? Why?"  
"I was framed of molesting a child. It was actually the owner of the great factory in the town. I found out and confronted him, but then he framed me of doing so. The kid was too traumatized to even recognize the man who had done it, so it was my word against his. Guess who they believed in?"  
"You -"  
"I never got along with people very well... I was to be killed, but an odd earthbender showed up. He threatened to destroy the city should I be hung... and after the best guards in there were unable to defeat him... he made a deal. I was to live in the mountains, but never allowed to go back to the city."  
"Who was that man?"  
"I never knew. He never actually showed his face to me, he was always cloaked. But I remember the last thing he said to me... he said: 'One day I'll be back and we'll prove your innocence... but for now, I hope this is enough'. It has been a year and a half since then..."  
"That man... did he have auburn hair?"  
"I... don't remember it quite that well... but I think yes, his beard was auburn."  
'So he's an earthbender. Good, now I know a little more about him.'  
"Sounds like the guy you are waiting for is the same one that I am looking for, Will. I really can't stay."  
"I understand. Thank you for hearing a man's sad tale."  
"But you can come with me. I'll need some guidance crossing these mountains and I know my company is not that much, but you won't be alone."  
He suddenly hugged her.  
"Thank you! Thank you!"  
"It's no big deal... okay, let go, I'm getting embarassed..."  
"You... really believe me?"  
"Your words... your pain... it was sincere. You are a good man to whom bad things happened. I cannot fix the past... but I can help you get a better future."  
"You know that now that we're leaving, we'll need to buy supplies, right? And that the village from where I was banished is the only one in many, many miles? I can't go in there or they'll kill me."  
"All we need is a disguise" she said, searching for stuff and then covering him with a scarf, a big hat and a cloak "There. That'll do it."  
"I look like a clothes rack."  
"I'll tell people you have a cold. Now come on, we don't want to waste any time!" she said, grabbed his arm and ran out. It was a beautiful new day...


	13. When a mind is buried

"You are late. The master already left."  
"Oh, Alan" she said, pretending to pout "Aren't you happy to see me?"  
"I couldn't care less about you. And you have been slacking off lately. If you were with us back when we attacked the Dai Li, Yung would be dead."  
"I don't know why he cares so much. That guy seems like a regular bender to me."  
"He's not. He can bend earth solely with his mind! He is the first one to escape my powers!"  
Rose smiled. Alan did not let his emotions show normally. Seeing him like that meant his guard was down.  
And then she felt her body stop. She looked at him and saw that one of his hands was reaching for a whip.  
"Master suffered your insubordination for long enough. It's about time I teach you a lesson."  
"What are you doing?" she said in fake panic. It was all going as planned.  
He grabbed her to start the torture...

...and then he found himself alone in that room.  
"What?! Where the hell are you?"  
She got in and he rose his hands trying to stop her... except he couldn't.  
"There was a man who beat me before. He had a strong will. But you... you are pathetic." she said and a hand made of earth rose and held him.  
"LET ME OUT OF HERE!"  
"You have so much more power than Aurion. Yet you obey his every command. So sad."  
"I HAD YOU UNDER MY CONTROL! HOW DID YOU ESCAPE?"  
"We may have been in your realm back then... but this is mine. This is were I have all the power" she said and a flame appeared on her hand.  
"You... why can't you just obey master Aurion?" he asked, trying as hard as he could to break the earth that held him. But he was weak-willed, so he had no chance.  
"Because no man can boss me around. Goodbye, Alan" she said and then the hand merged with the earth, swallowing him forever.

And then she was back to the real world, where Alan merely stared at the infinite with empty eyes. It was what happened when a self was buried within the deeper corners of the mind. If he ever recovered, it would take quite some time.  
"You gave me no choice" she said and pushed him, whom fell without any resistance.  
"Yung... is mine." she said and left that place vowing to never come back.


	14. When a pantless stranger shows up

He woke to see himself in a hospital room.  
"You're awake. Good."  
"Where am I?"  
"We found you passed out in a forest nearby and brought you here. What is your name?"  
He thanked the gods that he had the odd idea to change it. That would make it harder for his father to track him.  
"I'm Mark."  
"From where did you come?"  
'Is it not obvious?' he thought, thinking about his heavy coat that was folded in a corner of the room. Instead, he calmly answered:  
"I come from a Water Tribe village."  
"Really? All the way from there?"  
And then he remembered of how he went crazy and flew using steam all the way from the Southern Water Tribe to there. He was at the Earth Kingdom, from the looks of clothes. Now he understood why he passed out as soon as he landed.  
"Yeah."  
"Odd question: where are your pants?"  
And then he remembered: since he did not have time to get pants, he did that journey without them.  
"I have no idea. Where am I?"  
"Kyoshi Island. It was odd to find you. Nobody ever comes here without a boat."  
"I did. So, where can I get some pants?"  
"Calm down, stranger! You can't be out of that bed yet!"  
"Don't worry. I was just exhausted. I'm fine, really. Besides..."  
"Besides?"  
"I have to leave. My father is the chief of the Southern Water Tribe. He is kind of a tyrant and I am fleeing from him. So the longer I stay here, the riskier it is for me to get caught."  
"Yeah, right."  
"I'm telling you the truth!"  
"So I am to believe you swam from the Southern Water Tribe from here because your father, who is the chief, is chasing you."  
"Yes. He arrested me in Ice, but I was able to break out."  
She decided it should be a little fun to follow him in his craziness.  
"And how were you able to break out? I hear all waterbenders that try end up frost."  
"I can turn water and ice to steam. That's also how I flew here."  
"You FLEW here? A waterbender? That's too much to believe."  
"Get me some water, I'll prove it to you."  
"Fine" she said and gave him a cup of water. He focused for a moment and pulled it upwards and thought of the heat...  
And the water evaporated almost instantly.  
"NO WAY!"  
"Way."  
"So... everything you said..."  
"Truth" he said and stood up "now, where can I find some decent clothes? I can't walk around pantless, can I?"  
"I'll get you some pants. Stay here."  
"Oh, since you're at it, can you get me a shirt and shoes as well?"  
"Fine."  
He threw her two gold coins from the money he got from some guard's pouches before leaving the castle. It wasn't too honest of him, but then again, he was a runaway, so he did not have so much of a choice.  
"Thanks."he said and she left.  
'Kinda cute, even if a little skeptical. Too bad I can't stay here for long, I'd like to know more 'bout that cutie.'  
And waited, for he could not leave again without pants... specially considering the climate over there was getting too warm for him to use that big coat.


	15. When true colors are shown

"There. That should be enough." Aria said and put it all in her bag.  
And then they left, not noticing a little detail.  
"Hey, mister, your scarf!" the storekeeper said and ran to them, but when they turned...  
"You. I thought we were pretty clear that you weren't supposed to come back ever again!"  
"I-I'm sorry" he said, ashamed and that made Aria angry.  
"Stop it! He didn't do anything! It was the owner of that factory who did! He was just the scapegoat and you have condemned him for long enough!"  
And she hoped those words would reach the man... but they didn't.  
"So? What if he is innocent? No one cares."  
"What?"  
"That bastard... is just another woodcutter. Useless. Mr. Kario, on the other hand, is the one that brought the factory that made this city grow! We had to make sure he stayed, so why not blame this guy? He was never good with people anyway!"  
"So you were going to kill him just to keep a guilty man free? You disgust me!"  
"We were and not that he's here, we are!" he said when he saw many other villagers came and surrounded them.  
'It's not just Mr. Kario' she thought 'everyone here is rotten, taken by greed.'  
The shopkeeper got a knife.  
"That damned earthbender may have saved your sorry ass before... but he is not here now!"  
And Aria used an airblast to throw part of the crowd away, but they were just too many. One of them came from behind and held her so she could do nothing and another soon got Will.  
"You both die here and we'll finally be done with this crap!"  
But then as the shopkeeper was about to stab Will, a fireball threw him back.  
"People like you disgust me" a man's voice said "nice work, girl."  
"I just needed some practice" the girl replied and they all turned to see the two that stopped the madness. They were on a stone pillar above everyone.  
"Sorry I'm so late, Will" Yung said and smiled "life got in the way."  
"I finally got to see their true colors" Will said and threw himself on the floor, knocking out the guy that held him "now I don't have to hold anything back."  
"Yung... do you know that girl?"  
And then he finally paid attention to the woman that fought with Will.  
"It's her. It's the airbender."  
Will gave a punch that left the guy holding Aria dizzy and she used that to escape and started to use her staff to throw powerful airblasts all around. Until she jumped and saw him.  
'The bulky man with auburn hair. That is him.'  
"Yung, we should get to combat."  
"Right! Let them feel the wrath of the ultimate fighter!" he said and unbuttoned his coat, revealing the gleaming champion's belt. And as soon as Heather flew off the pillar, he jumped upwards and prepared to strike with full force.  
"THE DAMNED EARTHBENDER'S BACK! FLY, BUDDIES!" he said and Aria barely had the time to get herself and Will on air before Yung made his pillar sink back on the earth, causing a shockwave that knocked all those villagers back and destroyed the nearby buildings.  
"I told you I'd destroy everything if you tried to kill him!"  
"Wait, man... they're not worth it." Will said, holding Yung's arm.  
"Sorry, Will. But I am a man of my word!" he said and felt the earth... it started to shake weakly at first, but then with greater force... people could not keep themselves up... trees fell... buildings started to collapse...  
And the whole city would have gone to shambles if Aria had not thrown Yung back with an air blast.  
"What was that for?"  
"They're not worth the effort. Let's leave."  
"Fine..." he said and then saw the factory... and a man stood in a balcony on the highest floor, looking at him.  
"Just another thing?" Yung asked.  
"Sure. Mind if I join you?" Will asked and together, they moved a giant rock and blocked the chimney of the factory with it.  
"Didn't know you are an earthbender."  
"I just found out myself after I was banished. It gave me lots of free time..."  
"You're not half bad."  
"Kiddin' me? I have to focus a lot to get stuff done!"  
"No worries. You can learn from the master" Yung said and smiled, but deep down he was confused.  
He had found the airbender...  
Now what?


	16. When water hits the fan

"Well, not too shabby. Guess I could pass as a commoner were not for my royal eyes."  
"Calm down, jelly-brain. You okay with this."  
"I am. Thank you."  
"I also used some of the cash to buy you some supplies" she said, giving him a rucksack "it's not much, but I hope it is enough."  
"That'll do nicely. Thank you for your kindness, milady. Now I must be off. If my father's men find me here, it'll be war."  
And he left three silver coins on the mattress.  
"For your troubles" he told her with a charming voice and left.

The village was not too bad. It wasn't big, but it was cozy. Was he not a runaway, he'd like to start a life there... besides... the girls were charmed by him.  
Of course that happened back at his home, but there he was the son of the Chief, so the only girls that were ever allowed to talk to him were nobleborns and not that he didn't find them attractive, but they were usually so vain! But there... there were many girls there that observed him and more than one greeted him... there he could greet them back, flirt with them, maybe even...  
The thought of that made him embarassed and so distracted that he ran into someone and they both fell.  
"Oh... my bad." he said and then he looked at her... she was the most beautiful of them all. Her short and shiny black hair was majestic. Her facial features were so feminine, even more with that full-face makeup. That green kimono made her look fierce, but at the same time more lady-like.  
Then she talked and he saw that the personality was not so attractive.  
"HEY! Who do you think you are to mess with me? I am a Kyoshi warrior, peasant!"  
'Looks like someone needs to get some perspective!'  
"Well, you think that fancy title and that swanky uniform give you the right to be rude to everyone? I think it is time you learn a lesson, girl."  
"And who will teach it to me? You? Don't make me laugh, kid!" she said and got her fans, ready for combat.  
He opened his water pouch and got ready as well.  
"Oh, the boy can bend some water. I am so scared now!"  
"I am not a simpleton. I am Mark, the son of the Southern Water Tribe Chief and I can do much more than bend some water."  
And stroke with a water whip that she threw aside with her right fan, throwing the left right after. It painfully hit him on the forehead, leaving him dizzy for a moment and then she ran towards him with a cord, trying to tie him up and declare a quick victory, but he recovered and solidified some of his water, throwing it as an ice ball that stroke her on the chest and stroke her hard, so hard that he made it melt as it hit her so it wouldn't keep hurting her.  
"Gah!"  
His chivalrious nature tried to force him into helping her and up to yesterday, that would have been what he did. But now a new nature was proeminent in him - the survivalism nature and it told him that she might be trying to trick him. And so in matching them both, he went towards her, but when he saw that she faked the injury, he used his water to impulsionate him away from her. He tried to get more from his pouch, but it was empty.  
"You're out of ammo, boy and now victory shall be mine!"  
He almost panicked, but then he realised she was soaked.  
And he resolidified that water, stiffening her up and with a kick, she fell.  
"Get me out of this ice! NOW!"  
"So impatient. I'll leave you to think about what you did until that ice melts. Goodbye."  
And started to walk away.  
"Wait, wait! I am sorry, man! I overreacted!"  
He smiled and turned back.  
"I'll thaw you out. With one condition."  
"What is it?"  
"Admit that you attacked me because you were embarassed. Because you thought I was handsome."  
"YOU POMPOUS JERK! I HATE YOU!"  
He pretended to be pouty for a moment, but then smiled.  
"And hating me makes me more or less attractive?"  
"You are so narcisistic!"  
"Thanks, I try."  
"Oh, I hate your guts!"  
"And I love those cheek bones of yours. They give you such a quality... it's like your whole face was sculpted to fit them. It is sad that such a beautiful painting hides such a displeasant meaning."  
"YOU ARE AN IDIOT! YOU HEAR ME, A TOTAL JERK!"  
He smiled.  
"The jerks always get more ladies" he laughed and left. It wasn't that he was a jerk all the time.  
But if he could be one with an annoying girl that only looked cute, then why waste the chance?  
"I should be leaving. It'll start to rain pretty soon" he thought, ran to a nearby river to restock his pouch, surrounded himself with water and transformed it into steam and used it to fly out of there, leaving an incredulous frozen Kyoshi Warrior.


	17. When stories are shared

"So... who are you again?"  
"The name's Heather. I'm a firebender from a small Earth Kingdom village. And... I saw him on my flames. I see things in them. Creatures... places... and a few times... people."  
"I am Aria. I am an airbender from the Northern Air Temple. And I lived there up until I saw him in a spiritual trip and decided to chase him."  
"Call me Will. I'm the earthbender they banished because it was convenient. I hated living alone, mainly because... I hear things. Roars. And I feel things, things moving slowly and constantly beneath my feet."  
"You are an earth-feeler. You feel more than normal earthbenders. Its like you and the land are one. I wish I had that gift."  
"You can earthbend solely with your mind! That's awesome!" Will said.  
"I am Yung, the one people see around." he said and laughed "I'm kind of a man that has followed many paths and found true happiness and fulfillment in none. I've been a potter, a fighter, a Dai Li Agent, a blacksmith, a scholar, an advisor... many, many things. Nice memories, though."  
"How old are you?"  
"34. I'm still young." he said "you're 34 as well, right, Will?"  
"Indeed. Boy, it is good to be around people again! So... what do we do now?"  
"I have an enemy. A weird guy who names himself 'Aurion'. I won against him in the final of the Ultimate Fighter contest and he took it personally. Normally, I wouldn't pay much mind, since following as many paths as I did brought me along my fair share of enemies. However... he had an odd ally, that paralyzed us with mental force. So I am starting to believe that there is something odd going on, some sort of conspiracy behind the curtains. Lika a conspiracy of Metabenders."  
"Metabenders...?"  
"People who bend things other things rather than the elements" Yung said "I have heard of a dozen cases in the whole history of the world, but... I don't know. Something feels strange."  
"Uh-huh... I agree. A reason I was so desperate to keep you as company, Aria, was that the earth has been raging lately. It is creepy."  
"The land already knows what is wrong. And it warns those who can hear it."  
"The flames show me stuff as well. A new face. A young and charming waterbender with black hair and blue eyes."  
"So, we have our next man" Will said "let us find him."  
"Aria... what is your oddity?"  
"Sorry?"  
"We are not common benders. Heather sees stuff in her fires and I believe her skills go further. Will feels, hears and sees what the land can tell him; he and it are one. I need no art for I can move the land freely with my mind and in ways more slight and artful than your average bender. You?"  
"Oh... I am not sure if it is a gift or merely skill, but... I am able to use sound waves freely as I use airbending."  
"Awesome! Welcome to the Freaky Benders Band!"  
"Freaky Benders Band...?"  
"I like it!" Will said, excited. He was pretty psyched about having friends again, so much that he did not care any more about what those villagers had done.  
Yung looked at Will and smiled. He was a good person, so much better than him and seeing him happy was good.  
"Heather... you are quiet" Aria said, but became silent because she saw the firebender looked at her fires.  
"So, what has the mighty Yung been up to?"  
"Gettin' some props, dude, like these belt!" he said, pointing at the Champion's belt around his waist.  
"Awesome! And I see you learned how to make those neat Dai Li earth gloves!"  
"Yeah, I can teach you if you need to!"  
"Great! I need some training."  
"Hey! Noisy boys! Could you take that training elsewhere? Heather is whispering something here."  
"Oh, sorry" they said and got closer.  
"Brother Aurion is getting his hands dirty" she said in a deep, manly voice "It will soon be time for me to do the same."  
And the fire seemed to rage for a moment... but then it went off and Heather woke up from her trance.  
"Uh... hello?" she said, a little bit confused because everybody surrounded her.  
"So, what did you see? You talked with a man's voice, y'know..."  
"It was a man with white hair and a thick beard... I have never seen him before."  
"Whoever this is... he is related somehow to Aurion. We have to be wary of him."  
"That waterbender... we go north or south to find him?"  
"I think South." Aria said and they looked at Heather.  
"He fought with a girl that wore white facial makeup with red details and a green kimono... she fought with fans."  
"A Kyoshi warrior" Yung said "we go south."  
"Kyoshi warrior?"  
"Yeah. Kyoshi saved that village... and the world from a tyrant by making it become an island. And there she trained a group of elite female warriors, beggining a tradition that last to this day - the Kyoshi warriors."  
"They're... all girls?"  
"Yeah. No boys allowed. I visited that place once and even though I just wanted to understand more about the place, they made it pretty clear that I'd never get in. Yeah, right. I can bend earth with my mind, chicas, I don't need your ladies club!"  
"Yung... you're getting carried away."  
"Oh. Sorry. I think it's best we rest around here for the rest of the day and tomorrow, go south. And I want to start training Will so that we can rely more on his skills... he just needs a little push."  
"A little push? You think so?"  
"Yeah. We'll talk more 'bout it in training, bud."


	18. When an undead man is found

"Sir!" he called "we found something during our scouting in the outskirts of the city!"  
"You did?" the General thought, confused. It was an odd week. First, there was the whole Yung and Aurion incident that almost killed him. And then, yesterday, he had napped. Napped! He never did that, but what else could explain him losing sight of a whole hour? And when he woke up, his wound seemed way less serious and he could even move his arm freely! And now... a sentry found something.  
"What is it?"  
"Here, sir" he said and opened the door, showing Alan lying down on the floor with the eyes of a dead fish looking straight upwards.  
'That is the guy that was with Aurion. The one that blocked our movements' he thought. Alan did not seem as threatening, though.  
"What is wrong with him?"  
"Our physicians have examined him throughly, but they found nothing. His body had a clean bill of health. But he just stays there. It is almost like..."  
"Like his mind is what's dead" the General said "keep doing exams and try to get a reaction, but be careful. I think I know this man and if I do, he's dangerous."  
"So is it not better to leave things as they are, sir?"  
"No, because if he is who I think he is, it means someone took him down. It means there is an even bigger threat lurking around and that may endanger Ba Sing Se. No, we must take the risk of waking him up, because he might be able to tell us who is the man that attacked him..."  
'Or woman...' a thought told him, but he did not give much attention to it.  
"Will do, sir." the man agreed and left.  
'Why is this all happening now of all times? Seems to me there is something playin in the shadows... I wonder what it wants with me of all people...'  
He looked at Alan. That guy did not seem as half as dangerous as he did back at the camp.  
The General touched his forehead for a moment and his own head exploded in pain... and he saw her.  
A woman that laughed devilishly... and she said a single sentence...  
"Yung... is mine."


	19. When water slides

"Omashu" the young man said, delighted. He never thought he'd be able to visit the city in his life. Heck, he never thought he'd leave the Southern Water Tribe.  
So it was delightful to be around people that didn't wear heavy coats and houses that weren't made of ice.  
"Hey, you're not from here, are you?" he heard a voice and he looked down to find a kid asking him. It was a small girl that shouldn't be older than eight and had huge, curious eyes.  
"You got me. I'm from the South Pole, kiddo. Lot colder out there."  
The kid laughed and ran. For a moment, he thought of it as odd, he did not say anything funny. But then he looked at the girl running and on her hand... man, was that his pouch?  
"THIEF!" he said and ran towards the kid, but he knew he'd never be able to do more than keep up, never really reaching the little rascal... so he decreased his speed a little and then BAM!  
"Uwaaaah!" the kid said as she fell, grabbed by the water whip. He then let it go and used the water whip to bring him back his money pouch.  
"Hey!" a soldier said and Mark thought 'Finally, they show up!'  
Which caught him by surprise when the soldier earth-cuffed him.  
"What the hell?"  
"You are under arrest for harming a child!"  
"That child stole my pouch!" he said, but then again, no one had seen it happen, so no one would vouch for him.  
He had to run, so he blew to the water that fell from his pouch, turning it to ice and skated. The soldier tried to follow him, but he slipped on the ice and fell on his buttocks.  
"See ya!" Mark said, running. Those cuffs were a problem, but he had a theory...  
'This earth came from the floor... it has seen rain, people dropping water pouches, everything... so it is at least humid... I only have to focus my will on the water within them and...'  
CRACK! He broke the cuffs with both his strength and his waterbending. But then he turned back to be barely able to dodge an earth boulder.  
"HEY! YOU SHOULD BE UNDER ARREST FOR TRYING TO KILL AN INNOCENT TRAVELER!" he said to the three soldiers that followed him.  
"Uh... Isn't that the brat?"  
"Brat?" the other asked "What are you talking about?"  
"I've heard that the Southern Water Tribe is looking for a boy that looks just like him."  
"Really? Are they offering a reward?"  
"From what I heard? A fat one."  
"Then let's catch him!" the third one said and threw another boulder that Mark broke with a water whip.  
Mark started to sweat, scared... he wasn't going to be able to outrun those guys all the way out of the city, he had walked quite a bit inwards before the whole confusion began.  
But then he saw it! The slide that they used for cargo! He could go at it and use that speed to leave town!  
A devilish smile appeared on his face when he prepared an ice board. Of course, he could not resist but tease them.  
"So long, suckers!" he said threw his ice board on the slide and hopped onto it, sliding fast and loving it.  
"Rad, man!"  
And when he saw that the ride was taking a turn close from an entrance to the city, he jumped, hoping that the fall wouldn't hurt much...  
It didn't. He fell on something comfortable. But what was it?  
"MY CABBAGES!" a man yelled and he ran to the entrance as fast as he could, blending to the masses and leaving Omashu as fast as he had gotten in.  
Man, Earth Kingdom cities were nuts.


	20. When an odd meeting takes place

'He is running late' she thought 'I am fed up of waiting for him'  
"Thinking about me?" he asked from behind her. She turned, but he was not who she thought.  
"You are not Aurion. I had news for him."  
"What? That Alan is dead?" he asked  
"So he died? I buried his mind deep, but I didn't think he'd die."  
"Because that's not how he died. He was killed."  
She was shocked. More because that man's mind was completely closed.  
It was the first time that ever happened. She felt like she was in danger.  
He saw that and gave a gentle smile.  
"Do not worry, mindplayer, my quarrel is not with you. I do have a request, though."  
"What is it?" she asked.  
"Yung. He is going to Omashu. I want you to go to him and say that Aurion is not who he thinks he is."  
"I was going after Yung already."  
"That is why I entrust this message to you, kid. Because it won't be a sacrifice to do so."  
"You really think I'll do as you request?"  
"I believe you will."  
"Why?"  
"Respect for you elder?" he said and they both laughed "now, you do that and I'll talk to Aurion. I already have stuff to discuss with him."  
"Why not?" she asked "Fine, I'll do it."  
"Good luck, Rose" he said and was about to leave when she called him back.  
"It's not fair that you know my name and I don't know yours."  
He sighed for a moment and then looked back at her.  
"Call me Orion, girl. That'll do."  
And left before she could say anything else.  
'That man was odd' she thought. She was greatful, though, that she wouldn't have to deal with Aurion.  
Because that would be a crapstorm.


	21. When fire weakens

"Yes, that's it... you don't need to put all your strength to motion that... no, you are an Earth-Feeler. You and the boulder are one. You strike as one. Remember that."  
"I am one with the earth..." he said "listen to it... feel it."  
And the boulder moved to every movement... but then he heard the land roar and dropped the boulder, holding his head in pain.  
"Will?!" Yung said, worried about him "WILL!"  
"It hurts! Make it go away!"  
"You must not let it go away. No, you have to endure it" Yung said, hugging the earthbender "the more you struggle with your power, the worse it will be... control it and it won't hurt."  
Will looked at Yung, scared.  
"You are special, man. You were born an Earth-Feeler. Do not deny your gift. Accept it!"  
The earth raged again, but he felt it rather than ignoring. And Yung was right... it was much better this way.  
"All this time... I hurt for nothing... If only I had heard it rather than trying to keep it all out..."  
"Yes. The earth needs to warn you. Ignoring it will only make it try harder."  
"I see... but what is it warning me about?"  
"That I do not know. I am not an Earth Feeler. You are. Its mysteries are yours to decipher."  
"Aren't you just slacking off, dude?"  
"That I am not" he said "Be sure of it. I have been thinking this whole time about a lot of things... what could Aurion be planning, where is the waterbender going next, why a blond woman with silver eyes keeps showing up in my mind... many mysteries bother me, Will and it might just be that the earth is concerned about some of these things as well... but I can't be sure, for an Earth-Feeler I am not."  
"Maybe the earth is trying to... make me master earthbending?" he asked "because of the dangerous stuff around... the roars settled down when I practiced in the past... but that just now..."  
And then Heather came running.  
"I-I saw something!"  
"Heather...?"  
"The man that attacked you... the cloaked one... someone killed him!"  
"What?"  
"He was inside an isolated room... it seemed like he was sedated or something. Then a cloaked figure came, put his hand over his face for a moment and then stabbed him."  
"So Alan is dead?"  
"Yes."  
"That's it. That is why the earth roared just now!" Will said "That guy's death is related to all the odd stuff going on!"  
"Did you see anything about this man?"  
"No. The vision ended when Alan was stabbed" she said "I'm sorry I can't help more..."  
"It's okay, Heather" Aria said "you've helped a lot already."  
"Thank you..." she said weakly and then fainted.  
"Whoa?! Heather?"  
"She's so cold!" Aria said when she touched her "what do we do?"  
"Cover her up in some blankets to keep her warmer. We need to find a healer" Yung said and as soon as Aria was done, he grabbed the firebender and with his mind will, made the patch of ground in which they were standing float.  
"Aria, use your airbending to move us. We're going south."  
"Of course" she said.  
"You need me to do anything?"  
"Focus on the earth, Will. Feel it" he said as he bended forth five rocks that surrounded their floating earth isle "I'm going to examine her. Keep this chunk over ground."  
"You think I can do this?"  
"I believe in you. Now, are you bending it?"  
Will focused for a moment and rose his hands.  
"I am."  
"Good, I'm letting go."  
And he did and the chunk of earth almost broke on the ground, but Will was able to keep it under control.  
"I-I'M DOING IT! I'M EARTHBENDING!" Will said, excited.  
"I knew you could do it! Now keep it up!" Yung said "South, here we go!"


	22. When there's a muddy shock

Mark had finally calmed himself down after the whole Omashu confusion. He was now far enough from the city so that no soldier would chase him there.  
'Oh, boy, I need some rest. Being chased time after time and having to battle my way out of nearly every city I have ever been to... Not what I was expecting when I left the South Pole.'  
And then, as an irony of destiny, he hears something from afar... its an earth block floating from the ground, coming towards him with four strangers... yet one of them seemed familiar.  
He never even tried to move, because he was too dumbfounded by the sudden apparition to do so.  
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Breaks!" Young said and suddenly claimed control of the earth block with his bending so forcefully that he actually moved to do so, making both Aria and Will fall on their behinds. The block was slowly lowered to the ground then, right in front of Mark.  
"Sorry about that... waitaminute... are you a waterbender?"  
"I am. Why?"  
"Oh, good, we found him!" Yung said "we were looking for you."  
He opened his pouch and was ready to strike. He did not know if he could take those three alone, but he had to try.  
"N-not like that!" Aria said "its a long story. Do you mind sitting down and listen to it."  
And then he noticed the fourth person, a girl that was covered in blankets.  
"Is she okay?"  
"I do not know" Yung said "from my examinations, nothing is wrong with her and yet, she's not waking up."  
He went towards her.  
"I have trained healing with water" he said "I may be able to find stuff you couldn't."  
"Very well..." Aria said and took off the blankets. He placed his hand on her head and the water on it shone for a couple of moments, but then it stopped and he looked frustrated.  
"She's fine in every level I can tell... I think she's traveling to the Spirit World or something like that."  
"Well, that's not so odd. I've been there and Aria too, so it's about time Heather goes there. Actually, the Spirit World showed us you, brat. We were supposed to find you."  
"Me? Why?"  
"Cause a threat is rising, one that may break the delicate order of this world" Will said "and since the Avatar should be about two years old now, it's up to us to stop it. The name's Yung. My partners here are Will and Aria and that lady you just examined is Heather."  
"I'm Mark, but it matters not, for I'm leaving! Count me out! I'm just looking for good times, not worldly troubles!"  
"Too late!" Yung said, holding him "Ye're a member of the Freaky Benders Band!"  
"Freaky what?"  
"Freaky Benders? I can earthbend with my mind. Will can listen and feel the earth in a way that regular benders cannot. Aria can manipulate sound waves through her bending and Heather has visions in her fires. So, what is your oddity? Surely the Spirits did not send us a regular bender for this mission."  
"As strange as it may be, you are correct... I can do more than your average bending... I can bend steam."  
"Amazing!"  
"So... what now?"  
"Let's stay here for the night..." Yung said, raising Earth Tents quickly "If Heather is not awake by tomorrow... we'll see."


	23. When fire is strengthened

'Where am I?' she asked when she found herself in a big, dark cave.  
She was sure she had never been there before... the whole place felt strange. She tried firebending, but work it did not.  
'What?! My firebending doesn't work?! I'm screwed!'  
"Au contraire, child of flame..." a voice said "you are safe here, safer than you have ever been."  
Then she turned and saw a huge firebird.  
"Are you talking to me?"  
"Yes. I am Phoenix, Spirit of Rebirth."  
And he looked at her. She felt warmer with that look.  
"Fire burns everything... and gives new life" the Phoenix said "you are a child of flame and I brought you here because your rebirth is approaching."  
"Will I die?"  
"That I cannot tell. Rebirth is different for every child that goes through it. So you will only discover how your rebirth shall be when it happens."  
She touched her forehead and it shone for a moment.  
"You were born with a great gift, child of flame. But with great gifts, come great prices. Enjoy your adventures with your friends, child of flame. I bought you some time with that touch, but even I cannot stop the wheels of fate..."  
"What... are you talking about?" she said, dizzy and confused.  
"You will know when time comes. Now go back, child of flame, to your own world. They are waiting for you."  
The Phoenix spread his wings... the whole place started to shine... and she was gone.  
"Now, for other matters... I am glad you came to see me."  
"An invitation from the Spirit of Rebirth?" the owl asked "I could not refuse it. Because if you are meddling with mortals, it means there is something big coming. Something worth of history books."  
"Wan Shi Tong, your passion runs deep within you. I like that. Those children shall one day step on your territory. Let them in."  
"I do not like letting humans in my library. You know that very well."  
"Fate has brought them together... they found their way to the Spirit World without any help of ours. The wheels of fate are moving, Wan Shi Tong and you know what happens to those that try to get in the way."  
The owl sighed.  
"I shall cross that bridge when I come to it. That is the most I can promise you."  
"It will have to make do. It was good seeing you Wan Shi Tong."  
"Likewise, Phoenix."  
And the next moment, they were both gone as well.


	24. When the undead dies

"G-GENERAL!"  
"You seem in a rush, soldier. What is it?"  
"The man you asked us to examine... the odd one..."  
"What? Did you find anything?"  
"He was killed, sir! Someone stabbed him!"  
"That's impossible! We left him very well-guarded!" the General said, shocked "How could you let him die?!"  
"Talk to the man that guarded the door to his room, sir. It'll get stranger when you do."  
"Take me to him, soldier."  
"Yes, sir."

"So, how could you let him get killed? I want an explanation."  
"Sir... I was fooled. We were all fooled."  
"I am not liking this."  
"The last visitor was Dr. Ruglia. He took off his cloak and showed his badge. It was all confirmed. Except Dr. Ruglia was in healing because of a small accident earlier at the same time. Do you get what I am trying to tell you?"  
"Someone copycatted Dr. Ruglia perfectly and used that disguise to kill Alan."  
"I know it is unbeliavable, sir, yet..."  
"I believe you. Major Katsuo."  
"Sir!" the man said. He was a man on his middle-thirties with receeding hay colored hair and beany black eyes. His nose was slightly big, but was overshadowed by a huge scar he had on his left cheek. He had a somewhat bulky, somewhat fat body and his hand and feet were quite big.  
"You will command my troops while I am gone."  
"Sir?"  
"A lot of strange things have been going on around here lately. I know a man that can shed some answers to this, but I do not think he will talk to anyone in this army but me. So I must be the one to go."  
"I am sorry, sir, but I cannot accept your orders."  
"You have to! I must leave and find that man!"  
"You are not understanding, sir. I will not accept that order for I am not letting you search alone. I am coming with you."  
"Nonsense!" he said and pulled Katsuo to a corner away from the others "Something strange is happening around here, major. I have to leave, but at the same time, I must leave someone I trust in charge. Will you accept my orders now?"  
"Yes, sir."  
"Don't worry about me, kid. I'll get Megumi to join me."  
"The Silver Siren? You can do so?"  
"A little secret about the Silver Siren, kid... she can't ever refuse me a favor. I'll depart tomorrow, so if you need anything, ask me until the endo of this day."  
"Of course, sir" Katsuo said and left.  
'Hm... Yung owes me some big explanation. Things would be much easier to me if he hadn't run off.'


	25. When fire rises

"What is that noise?!" Mark asked when he heard some kind of explosion.  
"Is Heather awake?" Yung asked Aria right after that.  
"Not yet."  
"GUYS, WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!" Will yelled and the four of them went out to see a group of cloaked men led by an odd fat guy that had a rock on his hand. He had an ill-looking face with red eyes and a big mouth open in a smile of sick delight.  
"Which one of you louts is Yung?"  
"That'd be me" he said "who are you?"  
"I'm Botros! Lieutenant of Aurion's Purger Troops! And I shall become more when I bring him your head!"  
"Gee, I'm not sure I'm comfortable with letting you have my head..." Yung said and thought "How about a fist instead!"  
And an earth fist came from below Pekka and was to hit him on the chin, but instead he placed his huge hand on it and it exploded.  
"That's right! I'm no mere fighter, old man! CHARGE!"  
And his soldiers ran towards the group.  
"We can't let them take Heather. Generally, I'd be all about going to the front lines and striking them down, but I can't do that this time around. We draw a line of defence!" he said and both he and Will started to focus in raising an earth wall...  
And then a rock hit Yung on the chest, exploding and throwing him back, unconscious.  
"NICE TRY, OLD MAN, BUT THAT WON'T BE ENOUGH!"  
"Will! We need some backup here!" Mark yelled, attacking and knocking them down with his water whip as fast as he could, but it wasn't fast enough. Aria used air blasts, but for each men down, there were two more coming... how could they have so many on their cause already.  
"It's not many..." Yung said, trying to stand up "behind Botros... there's another... a metabender... he must be creating them..."  
Will heard and understood and started throwing rocks at Botros, hoping that knocking those two out would stop the flux of reinforcements, but everything he threw was exploded by Botros without hurting them.  
"You can't beat us! We're too many!"  
"Gah! Let me go!" Mark said as he was being held by the man.  
"HELP! WILL!"  
"You can't do anything, old man? You are useless!" Botros teased.  
But his eyes were closed. He did not hear anything anymore and the men from Botros attacked him, but with no result.  
"What the hell is that?"  
"Earth. You... cannot affect him... he is one... with the Earth."  
"I'll have to do it myself!" Botros said and punched the floor, creating a shockwave that exploded right under Will's feet, knocking him near Yung.  
"I tried... sorry, Yung..."  
"LET ME GO! I'M NOT YOUR PRISONER! I HAVEN'T GONE THIS FAR TO BE DEFEATED BY YOU, BASTARD!"  
"Too bad, you are! You lose, old man!"  
"No. Let him go" a new voice said. It was Heather, but her voice sounded different. Her eyes shone orange and her arms and legs were on fire, but it did not seem to hurt.  
"What... is that thing?!" Botros said, in panic for the first time in that battlefield.  
"Fire burns everything... and gives new life. So is the will of Phoenix."  
She rose her arms and the fire on them sprouted in the form of wings.  
"H-Heather?" Aria asked when the flames exploded the earth cottage they had left her in.  
"RETREAT! THEY'RE CONSPIRING WITH DEMONS!" Botros yelled.  
She howled a kiai, more ferociously than any of them had ever seen and they were all blasted by the flames, that made a dome around everyone.  
When it was done, everything was done and she fell, weakened.  
"Heather...?" Yung said, getting up. Strangely, the fire had healed him instead of harming. Will got up right after and they both ran to the firebender.  
"It was Phoenix... the Spirit of Rebirth... I saw her..."  
"Botros and his multiplying lackey retreated" Mark observed "There is not the smell of burnt humans here."  
"Smell of burnt humans?"  
"Yes, I felt it once. It's a thick smell of fat. Botros would have left a very strong scent. But there is none. Seems they escaped unharmed."  
"That they did not" Aria said, looking at the ashes "your flames killed the dupes. I believe that must have harmed their master very much. Even if he survived, it'll take a while for him to recover."  
"Whew, that was a close one. Will, are you okay?"  
"No... he was right... I'm useless..."  
Yung slapped him on the face.  
"Shut up. Useless? You are not at all useless!" Yung said, almost as ferociously as Phoenix-Heather "And I never want to hear you say that again. Got it?"  
"Y-You really are something, Yung... to have the guts to attack me... oh, you're going down!" Will said and jumped over him and they both began to fight each other and laugh.  
"Shouldn't we stop them?"  
"Nah. Let boys be boys." Mark said and watched. Things felt better now that those men were away and Heather was back.  
"Who are you again?"  
"Mark, waterbender. I hear you guys were looking for me and now here I am."  
"Oh, delightful! Another vision helped! Now we have to find out who is the man with white hair."  
"Oh, that man. I had forgotten about him." Will said as he and Yung stopped.  
"We have to find him. And when we do, I hope we get some answers."


	26. When a new enemy shows up

"We got one of them, milady. One of them metabenders."  
She smiled, a sick and twisted smile from those full lips that had a heavy red lipstick on. It made him shiver.  
"Really? Take me to see him."  
"It is a woman, milady. We don't know what she can do, but she made our devices beep."  
"I see. Let us see her. Make haste, soldier. I vant to make her suffer."  
"O-Of course, milady" he said, feeling those freakishly red eyes pierce through him. And took her to the place where they held the woman.  
"Hallo" she said with a fake joy "you are the metabender, correct?"  
"What do you want from me?" Rose asked.  
"You know about Aurion... the traitor. He was one of us, once... one that stalked prey like you... the undesirable, the uber ones. Last mission, we sent him undercover in an Ultimate Fighter contest so he could find them... and after that, he snapped. He betrayed us! And now he leads a group of uber ones and I vowed to bring them all down. TELL ME WHERE THEY ARE!" the woman roared in a tone that would make anyone shiver and hide in fear.  
Rose laughed in sick delight.  
"YOU VILL PAY FOR THAT!" the woman threatened and tried to hit Rose with her club... except an arm got in her way.  
It was the arm of one of her men.  
"IS THAT TREASON? HOW DARE YOU RAISE A HAND AGAINST ME! YOU VILL REGRET THAT!"  
Rose smiled as the two men that held her let her go gently before turning to her men.  
"You have no idea, do you, darling? If you were meddling with one of Aurion's lackeys, you would be dead by now."  
She tried to attack again, but two of the soldiers suddenly grabbed her and held her tightly, rendering her defenceless.  
"But I could not care less about your pitious forces. I let you catch me because I had to find out if you were a real threat. I am disappointed, though. I had hoped you would put out more than a fight."  
And then Rose looked directly at her.  
"Deirdre Davor. 37 years old. Decided to become a part of the Uber Killers after an attack of an 'undesirable' led to the miscarriage of your only child. Quickly rose to the lead due to your ruthlessness and dedication to the cause."  
"How can you do that?" Deirdre asked.  
"I have scruples, you know? But since you have proven to have none, I guess I can make an exception..."  
And Rose's eyes began to shine as her face showed a devilish smile.  
"Treat others the way you wish to be treated, am I correct?"  
"What do you vant?!"  
Rose looked straight at her eyes and she felt as if a sharp needle had been stuck on her head.  
"I 'vant' you to pay."


	27. When water leads the way

"Are you lost?"  
"Of course we are! Look, we've searched for each other and then you. So far we always had a sense of direction, somehow. But now, we have no idea where to begin looking for that white-haired man!"  
"Interesting you talk about that" Yung said "I think I have a plan, Aria."  
"You do? What sort of plan, Yung?"  
"I met you in the spirit world before ever seeing you in the physical world. Heather saw Phoenix and lent its powers to defeat Botros and the dupes. Is it not obvious? Either Mark or Will shall have a revelation of the spiritual sort... and we go from there."  
"No! We go north!" Mark said.  
"North? What for?"  
"I should tell the truth now. My dad is the Southern Water Tribe Chief. I fled after challenging him. He locked me on Ice, a prison with walls so thick that those who dare to try and escape end up frozen in it... except I didn't, because I can heat water up until it becomes steam. So now he's sent his men after me. I have heard rumors of it and I had to fight my way out of Omashu partly because of it. So we go north to flee his grasp. Who knows what he'll do to you if he captures us!"  
Yung gave him an evil smile.  
"This is not a Pole. This is the Earth Kingdom. So if your father or any waterbender wants to try their luck, let them come. This is my playground."  
"Wait. Please say it again" Will said "Say your idea."  
"South" Yung said.  
"North" Mark said.  
"Hm... the earth spoke to me. North it is."  
"I win, Yung!" Mark said and started to make a weird victory dance.  
Yung could care less, but not much less.  
"Lead the way, Mark."  
"W-What?!"  
"Your idea, your direction, your lead. Go on."  
"Then North we go!" he said "Gaoling should not be very far!"  
"Gaoling!" Yung said, excited "they have rice dumplings that are to die for!"  
"Do you ever think of something that not food?" Heather asked.  
"Why should I? Is there anything better than food in the world?"  
"Chicks, man" Mark said and winked at Heather.  
And then Heather hit him with a log.  
"Aww! What was that for?"  
"I'm not very fond of the Don Juan act, brat."  
"It's not just an act! You're hot! Really!"  
"We don't need romance getting in the way of our mission" she said coldly "let's go, you are making me lag behind!"  
And then she ran to the others, catching up.  
"You'll see... I'll make that cold heart warm up to me!" he said to himself, and then louder "Hey! Wait up, you four!"


	28. When a traitor escapes

"I am looking for a man. An earthbender named Yung. Have you seen him?"  
"No, I have not seen that man."  
She felt the needle in her mind again.  
"Your eyes twitched. You know who I am talking about."  
And she looked directly at Deirdre's eyes, with hate on her own.  
"Must I tell you how uncomfortable it will be, entering in your mind? This needles hurt, don't they? They are small mental taps. Forcing my entrance into your mind will hurt a lot more."  
And she felt the pain of Rose's forced entry and almost passed out, drooling and tearing in pain when she was done.  
"He was last seen destroying a factory in a mountain town. He went west. Thank you for your information."  
Deirdre felt a surge of hate and was able to knock out the two men that held her with her firebending. She jumped towards Rose, but a big, bulky guy came between them and tackled Deirdre back to the floor.  
"Thank you" Rose said.  
"Gunther! You are the strongest of my unit! Resist her mind control! Do it!"  
"He never needed to" Rose said "I never got his mind."  
She snapped her fingers and the men she had mindbent fell unconscious.  
Leaving only herself, Deirdre and Gunther awake.  
"Gunther! I-I love you!" she said, clinging to his boot.  
He wasn't bad to look at. He had short-cut black hair and beautiful blue eyes. His face was hard, but handsome and he had a huge, extrememly bulky body, being taller than mostly everyone he had ever seen.  
"Please! For us! Kill her!"  
He looked at her with despise.  
"I am the son of an uber bender. Should I kill my mother, too?"  
"B-But I..."  
"Goodbye, Deirdre" Gunther said and gave her a huge, devil smile.  
"You bastard! You vill pay for that!"  
"You will never have the chance to do so" Gunther said and got a spear that was sheathed on his back.  
She became so angry she threw a fire blast against him, but he merely rose his shield and stopped it.  
"Your anger is no match for my cold desire for vengeance" he said and then bashed with his shield, quickly tying her up after.  
"Gah! Why... can't I... burn this?"  
"I am stopping you. You won't be able to bend for a while. Goodbye, Deirdre."  
And both of them left.  
"Thanks for rescuing me. If you were on their side, I would be lost. I couldn't bend all their minds."  
"I knocked as many of them out as I could without being noticed. They knew there was a traitor in there already. In a way, you rescued me as well."  
"Why didn't you kill her?"  
"Because of Aurion" Gunther said "last we heard, he had at least twenty uber ones following him. So Deirdre can't waste time looking for them... and who knows? She may yet make a difference in this war."  
"I want to join Yung."  
"Yung? I'm more updated about him than Deirdre. I think I can provide you with a better location."  
"How better?"  
"Gaoling. They'll be there soon."  
"Then let us go, Gunther."  
"We shall do so... Rose."


	29. When there's a drunken master

"Delicious! More!" Yung said and smiled.  
"I can't believe you eat so much!" Heather said "You are such a glutton!"  
"We had that talk before!" Yung said "I'm too busy eating to talk!"  
"You're a glutton. A freaking glutton."  
"Whatever, it tastes good" Yung said and got another dumpling "Come on, it's on me, man!"  
"How come you're so rich?"  
"I won the Earthrumble in Omashu, the Ultimate Fighter Championship in Ba Sing Se and the North Pole's Fisherman's Wharf, to name a few. And each of those came with beautiful prizes."  
"So, you're rich?"  
"Rich enough to do nothing for the rest of my life. Except that would do nothing to fill the void in me."  
"So, you still gather more and more money? Shouldn't you do something like donate part of it to charity?"  
"What would I get with that?" Yung asked, eating another dumpling.  
"You are a first grade jerk!" Mark said "Y'know, you're like... uhhhh..."  
"Yeah, you've drank enough, brat" Will said, getting the glass away from him.  
"Hey! Gimme that!" Mark said, tried to reach for it, but fell on the table, smashing some dumplings on his clothes.  
"Hey! Aria? Won't you drink?"  
"No. I do not drink. It is disgusting."  
"Heather! Come on!" Will said.  
"My father taught me not to do so."  
"Yung! This guy here can't drink! Show us how it's done!"  
"Sorry, Will. I have to behave decently 'round the kids" Yung replied.  
"Yet you eat like a pig!" Mark said, getting up "You really are something, y'know that?"  
"Thank you!" Yung said "Hey! Bring us more dumpling here! A jerk smashed the ones we already had!"  
"Shut yerselves up!" Mark said and tried to punch him, but was unable to hit and fell again.  
"Wait, you're closing already?" Heather asked when she saw the doors closing.  
"For now" the owner explained "the Breakers is coming. They always appear around this time and cause destruction."  
"Well, I'm guessing this youngsters need a lesson on perspective!" Yung said "You coming with me?"  
"Sure? Being righteous and all? Awesome."  
"The Phoenix made me feel empowered. I'd like to test these new powers myself."  
"Hey, I can do this! I feel magnificent!"  
"Mark's too drunk to do anything! We'll have to take care of this ourselves!"  
"Ye're bein' jerks! I can do this!" Mark said and stood up, feeling a rush and almost throwing up, but he was able to hold it back in.  
"Fine. Will, keep an eye on Mark for us, okay?"  
"Sure."  
"Too bad he can't take care of himself, I think I really can do something here."  
"Hey!" Yung said when they left the restaurant and saw the gang appearing from down the street "I don't like you messing with the people of this fair city."  
"Oh, really?" the leader asked and twenty others behind him had evil smiles "And who's gonna stop us? You idiots?"  
"I suppose you doubt we can do it?" Yung said and a couple of rocks floated suddenly.  
"They're uber ones, chief!"  
"Better! Get the lot of them! That'll make us the boss' favorites rather than that bitch Deirdre!"  
And he charged with his men behind him and the benders prepared to do so as well, but before they could, Mark ran forward, laughing.  
"Mark! Come back here!" Heather yelled, afraid he'd be killed, but when the arrows came, he dodged them nimbly and quickly, never being hit by any of them.  
"I can't believe what my eyes show me..." Aria said, fascinated.  
And then he got close enough for the melee attackers and that was exactly when his bending began. He brought forth water whips on his hands and water boots on his feet, tackling and evading and punching and kicking with accuracy.  
"Our boy's a drunken master! Huzzah!" Yung cheered with a cup of water on his hand. He threw it and hit one of the bandits that was trying to hit Mark from behind, but then the leader grabbed him.  
"Final words, scum?"  
Mark threw up on him, which made him drop the waterbender with a mix of disgust and shock. And then Mark kicked his face.  
The last three charged and one shot an arrow that pierced Mark's shoulder, making him fall, harmed. They were going to get him, but Will stepped forward and stuck them waist-down on the earth. He and Yung took that precaution with the already defeated ones as well while Aria and Heather helped the injured waterbender.  
"Are you okay?"  
"I love you guys!" he said and tried to hug them.  
"I can't believe I am actually saying this, but I think the alcohol was good for him." Aria said, sighed and then took the arrow out of his shoulder quickly.  
"Awww, you mother-"  
"WE'RE SAVED!" the restaurant owner yelled to the streets "SOME BENDERS SAVED US!"  
"That, or they doomed us all. Those ruffians were a faction of the Uberkiller army. Now that we have challenged them, the whole army will come after us."  
"They won't" Yung said "they'll be too busy coming after us. Tell them we went North. That's true."  
"Yung?"  
"How can we escape their might?"  
"Because there's someone they want more than us. The other thing you shall tell that army when they arrive... is that Aurion is in Flenwin."  
"Aurion? What's he got to do with all of this?"  
"When he attacked me back at Ba Sing Se, he had a man named Alan by his side. Alan was a metabender."  
"A-A metabender?"  
"An uber one! The man that led them said something like that!" Aria said.  
"Exactly. Looks like we have a common enemy... even if we do not share a common cause. I can use their help some more."  
"So, what do we do now?"  
"We continue to ride north. I think we should leave now. I do not know how long it will take for the Uberkiller army to arrive and I surely do not want to find out."


	30. When an easy target surprises

"You got the old man?"  
"Targeted" she said "Aurion will be pleased."  
"Good. Shoot. He'll never know what hit him."  
She had an evil smile. Hers was the power of shooting explosive vibes through her fingers to things and people. If she could target, it was a goner. Her power defined who she became.  
A cold-hearted killer whom loved the explosion of the living more than anything else.  
She shot... but she hit only earth, that bursted and left a small crater when she was done.  
"What the..."  
"Oh, yes. The old man never saw what hit him" a third voice said and his hand reached to the woman's head.  
And crushed it quickly.  
"You" he said to the other one, whom was trying to run away "Tell Aurion that Alan is dead. And that I am aware of him."  
The old man left, with a smile on his face.  
'So it begins...' he thought as he lit a cigar and smoke it.


	31. When a new targer is set

"Hello, Aurion" a voice said from the shadows.  
"Who's there?"  
"Just a messenger. Here to tell you that your friend Alan is dead and your enemy Yung is growing stronger and stronger."  
"Who are you? Why do you insist to bother me so?"  
"I am merely giving you an update, young one" the shadow said "Know your enemy, correct?"  
"You want my victory?"  
"I want a better game" he said "it's no fun when you are totally sure of which side will be victor."  
"Who the hell are you?" he asked, angry.  
"A messenger. An observer" the shadow said and laughed.  
He unsheathed his sword and attacked the shadows, but it had no result.  
"You're not the only one aligned with metabenders, Aurion" he said "And you should know the world is even greater than you believe."  
"Where are you?"  
"On my way to it. Ba Sing Se is the key to the first part of our play. Whoever takes it wins."  
And the shadow started to flicker... the last thing it said was:  
"Please, don't lag for too long. The game will be too boring if I can't find a worthy enemy."  
"BASTARD!" he said, attacking repeatedly with his sword. He could have great powers, but one of his weaknesses was his bursts of rage.  
"S-Sir?' one of his subordinates asked when he entered "What happened?"  
"Change of plans. We're riding to Ba Sing Se."


	32. When they actually meet

"So… who is this Yung you are searching for?"  
"A powerful earth bender, one whom Aurion has a grudge against" Rose explained "I believe he can stop Aurion's mad plans."  
"You seem a little bothered. What is it?"  
"Pardon me for being rude, but... you are an odd man, Mr. Gunther. I usually find out basic info about people by just being close to them, but you… I can't get anything from you."  
He laughed.  
"Is that it, Ms. Rose? You can always ask!"  
"You were telling the truth, Mr. Gunther? Back when you told Deirdre that your mother was a metabender?"  
Gunther smiled. Being free again, next to a beautiful woman and doing something important? That was a life he liked to live.  
"Please, call me Gunther? Mister makes me feel old."  
"Then call me Rose. Miss is a little bit too much."  
"We've got a deal. And answering your question, no, it was a lie. I just wanted to make that bitch shut up, never liked her."  
"She said she loved you" Rose mentioned "and I read minds. She wasn't lying."  
"So? I never loved her. She's an arrogant woman filled with hate. Being on her troop already felt sick, imagine loving her! Besides..."  
"Besides?"  
"I have a mission, Rose. I will allow myself love should I survive and accomplish it."  
"You are a diligent man, Gunther. I like that" she said and held his arm "Is part of your mission keeping me safe?"  
And she didn't knew it, but even without all that mind bending and the glamour she used when she needed to seem sexy, she was being naturally enticing. He turned his face away, blushing.  
"N-Now it is, Rose."  
She blushed for a moment, but kept it together.  
"What about you, Rose? What can you tell me about yourself? I know this may be a touchy subject, but... how old are you?"  
"26."  
"28."  
"My turn. Favorite color?"  
"The color of clear day skies. Yours?"  
"The color of the autumn leaves."  
"Me again. What's your favorite food?"  
"I know it isn't exactly food, but I do love jasmine tea."  
"I like it very much as well." Gunther said and they both smiled... but their smiles were actually sad.  
Because even though there was a spark going on between them, it wouldn't work for each had a reason not to engage in that romance.


	33. When another destiny converges

"Augh!" she screamed in the middle of her morning meditation. She screamed so loudly that it made Yung and Will stop their morning earthbending practice and woke Mark up.  
"Aria! Are you okay?"  
"We have to go... if we don't, it may be worse... he told me so."  
"Who told you so?"  
"The white-haired man. He showed up in the middle of my meditation... and told me that we should all go to Ba Sing Se."  
"Aw, man, not Ba Sing Se! I deserted the Dai Li! I'm wanted there!"  
"I'm the Southern Water Tribe prince. We can work something out and… oh, man, my head is killing me!"  
"Hangover" Heather and Aria said in unison.  
"That's what happens when you can't control your drinks, brat" Will said and he smiled.  
"You drank almost as much as I did! How come you're not hungover?"  
"First of all, I'm not a scrawny little fellow like you. Also, I've been drinking for years, boy! I know how to do it!"  
"Whatever, I can take you on!" Mark challenged and tried to throw a punch, but his shoulder felt bad and he stopped "What the hell?"  
"You're hurt. Your shoulder was trespassed by an arrow yesterday."  
"Oh. Why can't I remember any of that?"  
"Because you were drunk - it's like talking to a rock!"  
"I'll never drink again..."  
"Yeah, right" Will said and laughed "if I had a copper coin for every time I said that..."  
"So, we ride to Ba Sing Se?"  
"Look, for some reason, we have to find that white-haired man. If he's on Ba Sing Se... then we should go."  
"What if Aurion is there?"  
"We cross that bridge when we come to it" Yung said and smiled "Come on, we're the Freaky Benders Band! What can't we do?"  
"Keep drunken men from getting hurt?" Mark asked as he used water to heal his own wounds.  
"Hey, you were drunk. It's your problem, man."  
"You are not a nice person, you know that? I do not like that."  
"Whatever. I endured a whole village hating me. I think that one guy is no big deal. Besides, me and Yung here are the reason you only have that injury rather than many. You can't possibly hate the man that saved your life, now, can you?"  
"You got me... oh, joy" Mark said sarcastically.  
"Anyway, how can we get to Ba Sing Se fast?"  
Yung tapped Will on the back and smiled.  
"When there's a Will, there's a way! Will-whistle!" Yung said and pointed up as Will whistled.  
And suddenly, a sky bison appeared and landed near them.  
"Awesome!" Mark said, excited.  
"How did you get a sky bison to be your friend?"  
"He appeared near my house while I was in reclusion. His airbender was mortally wounded. I tried to take care of him for three days and three nights, but in the end, he didn't make it. After that, Shoun here appeared and went occasionally. That whistle was how I called him. Hello, gorgeous!" he then said to the sky bison and petted him "Will you give us a ride?"  
Shoun roared happily.  
"Ready, my friends?"  
"We have to fly?!" Heather said, scared "I-I have never flown before! I felt almost sick when we were on that high rock pillar."  
"We'll land again" Yung said "don't worry."  
"Yeah, and flying is awesome. You feel so free and light! It is so delightful!" Aria said, excited with the perspective of being on a sky bison again.  
"I guess I'm outvoted, then..."  
"I'm sorry, Heather... but it is the only way to get to Ba Sing Se faster than walking."  
"I-I'll just have to deal with it, won't I?" Heather said, shyly.  
And Yung helped her and Mark get on the bison before throwing himself on it with an earth pillar. Aria merely used an air gust to get herself on the saddle and Will pulled himself up calmly.  
"Everyone ready?" Aria asked.  
"I-I'm as ready as I'll ever be, I guess..."  
"Let's get to it!"  
"This will be just awesome!"  
"Shoun!" Will said "Fly high!"  
The bison roared and went to the air swiftly.


	34. When the General sees them

The wind was sandy, but he wore goggles that protected his eyes and his Dai Li armor was also quite useful in helping him go around without getting hurt.  
'This is actually better' the General thought 'the sand will cover my tracks.'  
"Hey, Ba Sing Se is towards that direction, right?" a voice asked and he saw a cloaked stranger next to him.  
"It is" he said.  
"Why are you leaving it?"  
"I am seeking an old friend. Why are you arriving?"  
The cloaked man laughed.  
"The same reason. So, I think I'll see you around someday?"  
"It may be so..." the General said and started to walk away, but then turned back and asked:  
"What's your name, stranger?"  
"Orion. You'd do best not to forget it, I suppose."  
And left without another word.  
'Well, that was odd... but I don't think I should waste a lot of time thinking about it.'  
The General coughed and looked back... but there was no sign of him anywhere.  
"Oh. Well, guess I'm riding solo again."  
And walked back, thinking of the Serpent's Pass that traveler would have to cross.

"Ba Sing Se?" another man, leading a band of others, all of them cloaked. He thought of it as odd, because the sandstorm had long since ended and anyway, he had left it behind.  
"That way" the General said "if you can excuse me..."  
"Of course" he said and they let him pass.  
"Good luck" the General finally said and left them all behind.  
"Hey... I think I know you?"  
"You must be mistaken" he said. He did not remember that man and he had no time to do so.  
"Eh, I don't think it matters. Thanks for the help, whoever you are."  
"You're welcome, gentlemen." he said and left.  
'Lots of people asking me how to get to Ba Sing Se. That's strange. Eh, people go to Ba Sing Se every day. Shouldn't be too concerning.'  
But of course, it was.


	35. When an attack leads Five to oddity

"The Desert. We should reach Ba Sing Se the day after tomorrow" Aria said, but only Will listened. Mark was too busy taking care of Heather, whom felt sick and Yung looked around for something.  
"Hey... dude? What are you looking for?"  
"I'm not sure. I have a bad feeling."  
"Like you're going to throw up even what's not in you?" Heather asked.  
"No. Like we are being watched" Yung said and scratched his beard "Something is watching us."  
"Aren't you being a little paranoid?" Mark asked "I know we're flying and all, but... chill down!"  
"Uh... I'm gonna die here..."  
"You're not dying!" Aria said "And Yung, stop with the paranoid behavior."  
"I'm not paranoid! It's for real!" Yung said and then felt a chill. And right after that, he grabbed Will and quickly crouched with him, Mark and Heather, trying to pull Aria with his hand.  
"Let us go!" Mark said, trying to get out, but the earth bender was bigger and stronger. Will got out, but one of his arms held Yung and he helped protect the two.  
"I don't know what's going on, Yung, but I trust you!" Will assured him and in that moment, Yung pulled Aria to him.  
"LET ME GO! THERE IS NOTHING!"  
"There is something..." Will said, looking up, scared and fascinated "And it's here!"  
"BRACE YOURSELVES! WE'RE NOT SEPARATING HERE, AFTER EVERYTHING! WE RESIST!"  
And it all became dark.

"Welcome" a voice said when they woke up again. And they got up to find a huge owl looking at them.  
"Wan Shi Tong. It is an honor to meet you."  
"Oh, the boy knows who I am."  
"What are we doing here?"  
"You are here for Phoenix asked me a favor" Wan Shi Tong said "so, which one of you is the one Phoenix blessed?"  
"Me, sir" Heather said, raising her hand.  
"Oh. Too bad. You have a pretty face."  
"Whatever do you mean by that?" Mark asked, angry because it sounded like a threat.  
"Just what I said. If you do not understand, then never mind. Phoenix told me to allow your presence in my library... but I cannot do so right now."  
"You see what is going on at Ba Sing Se."  
"Indeed. I do not like meddling with mortals, but the metabenders... their existence is unnatural. It defies the laws of the land" he said "You were chosen by Phoenix, lass. And you can listen to the earth, youngster. This group may have what it does take to stop them."  
"Wait. What did you do to Shoun?" Yung asked.  
"Don't worry about that. I find sky bisons much more... pleasant than humans. He's back at the Air Temple he originally came from, being well-treated."  
"So... how will we get to Ba Sing Se now?"  
"I'll get you out of this desert. Any further progress must be done on your own."  
"That sounds good" Will said.  
"Goodbye" Wan Shi Tong said, spread his wings and they were gone.  
He left to rest, alone.  
Phoenix owed him big time.


	36. When Mind and Body take a shortcut

"I can hear him from afar when I focus, you know?"  
"Who?"  
"Aurion."  
"What is going on with him?"  
"He's headed for Ba Sing Se. He thinks of someone that is there as well" Rose said and the next moment, she fell on the floor, shocked "gah!"  
"Rose! Are you okay?"  
"That man! The one warded against my power! The white-haired man!"  
"So... it's Ba Sing Se?"  
"It will take days to get there, though."  
"It won't" Gunther said, assuring her "you're not the first metabender I've met, girl."  
He looked at his wrist bracelet and took a little green spiral leaf from it.  
"Whisperleaf. It's almost extinct, you know?"  
"Whisperleaf? What does it do?"  
"Each plant has two leaves. What you talk in one is heard on the other and vice-versa" he said and then to the leaf "We need a ride. Ba Sing Se."  
"Comin' right up" the other side replied and right after, a scrawny black man showed up.  
"You should eat more, Lee."  
"You know I burn too much energy doing what I do, big bro. Got any eats?"  
Gunther took a huge rice dumpling out of his backpack and gave it to Lee. The boy quickly ate it and then looked at Rose.  
"Whoa, she's a cutie! You dating her or what?"  
"N-No! We're just..."  
"We're cohorts in this operation. A tyrant named Aurion is creating an army of metabenders to take over the world. People like you and me."  
"And big bro" Lee said before the man could stop him.  
"Gunther's a metabender?!"  
"You haven't told her, big bro?"  
"No, I did not!" Gunther said, slapping the back of Lee's head "And it's no big deal what I can do, so it's best I look like a non-bender!"  
"It's a huge deal! But if you want to keep it secret... whatever."  
"Very well" Rose said "I trust you to tell me when the time comes, Gunther."  
And he wanted to tell her. Right then. But he couldn't. It was essential that he did not.  
"I am sorry. Now, Lee, open a gate. Ba Sing Se."  
"Fine, fine, but I won't be able to do it again for a while. Are you sure about this?"  
"Yes, Lee. Things will happen there."  
"Very well" Lee said and clapped his hands once. When he stretched his arms far from each other, a door appeared in front of them.  
"I better not keep this open for long. Go."  
"Thanks for your help, little bro" Gunther said and messed his hair.  
"Thank you very much, Lee" Rose said and kissed his cheek.  
He became redder.  
"I can't hold this for long. Go!"  
"Can I do anything for-"  
"GO!"  
Gunther nodded, held Rose tightly and they both jumped through the door. It closed right after they had crossed it.

"Outskirts of Ba Sing Se."  
"You ready to go, Ms. Rose?" Gunther asked.  
She kissed him on the cheek.  
"Thanks for saving my life, Gunther."  
"Y-You're welcome, Rose" he said "Shall we?"  
She held his arm. It was curious because for the first time, she did not try to flirt with a man.  
And even though it was like that... she was falling for him.  
"You think we're too late?"  
"No" she said "if we were, Aurion would make sure that we saw he dominated this place."


End file.
